Safety-hook.



No. 804,175. PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

F. SI-IBRKEL, JR.

SAFETY HOOK.

grrmonlon FILED JAN. 10, 1905.

4. 3 q vi/h mooaa I 33 ,4 W (v FRANK SHER-KEL, JR, OF HOUTZDALE,PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Application filed January 10, 1905. Serial No. Z LOA LG.

To all whom, it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SHERKEL, J r., a citizen of the United States,residing at .Houtzdale, in the county of Clearfield and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Safety-Hook, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in look or snap hooks andis adapted for successful use for a variety of purposes.

The principal object is to provide a simple device of a novel characterthat will constitute an efficient locking connection between twoelements and yet will permit the ready disconnection of said elementseven when the same are under strain.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation ofthe hook. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough. Fig. 3is a similar view, but showing the hook unlocked; and Fig. 4 is an endelevation of the structure.

Similar reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated a body is employed comprising spacedlongitudinally-disposed members 5, connected at one end, as shown at 6,and having an elongated eye 7, though the formation and arrangement ofthis eye is not important and may be varied to suit the differentrequirements of use. The spaced members 5 are provided at their freeends and at one corner of the body with longitudinally-projectingportions 8, constituting sections of a tongue, said sections formingbetween them a socket 9. The projecting tongue, together with theadjacent ends of the side members 5 of the body, form anarticlereceiving seat 10, which opens at the end of said body.

Pivoted to and between the corners of the side members 5, opposite thetongue-sections 8, is a retaining-hook 11, the main portion of whichextends longitudinallyof the body and has at its free end an offset bill12, located transversely of said body, extending across the seat andhaving its free terminal engaging in the socket 9 or, in other words,between the sections 8. The inner portion of the hook has a curved edge13 and an abutment-shoulder 14:. A locking-dog 15 is pivoted between itsends to and between the side members 5 of the body, this dog having acurved edge 16 coacting with the curved edge 13 of the hook and being,furthermore, provided with an outstanding shoulder 17, coacting with theshoulder 14 of said hook. The other end 18 of the dog is normallylocated in a recessed portion 19 of the body and constitutes means foractuating said dog. A spring 20 has one end seated in the connectingportion 6 of the body, while its other end is located in a recess 21 inthe dog, said spring bearingupwardly against the dog, holding it inoperative position. It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that when thehook extends across the seat 10 of the body said seat is entirely closedand said hook is locked against movement by the dog; If, therefore, aring or other elementis located in said seat, it will be securelyretained against detachment from the device. If, however, it is desiredto release such ring, it is only necessary to swing the dog 15,whereupon the portions 16 and 17 will move out of the path of movementof the inner end of said hook, and the hook may be swung freely in anoutward direction, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby opening the seat 10 andpermitting the escape of the ring or other device contained therein.

The following advantages secured by the structure may be set forth. Inthe first place it will be evident that a novel structure of a simplenature is-obtained for connecting two elements and that this structureconstitutes an eflicient lock which is not liable to accidentaloperation, as the operating end 18 of the dog is practically within thebody of the device. The two elements or parts connected by the structuremay, however, be readily released, even when the same are under strain.lt is believed that this advantage will be appreciated, for with theordinary snap-hook now in general use the stationary rearwardlyturnedhook often prevents the release of a ring or other device held therebywhen there is strain applied to the parts. For instance, where when ananimal falls it is often necessary to remove the harness and as thehooks cannot be disengaged because of the strain thereupon it thereforesometimes becomes necessary to out the straps. It will be apparent thatthis would not be necessary in the case of the present devices, as thehooks will swing freely outwardly when released. The invention, however,is not limited to use on harness, for it will be apparent that it may beemployed for many purposes.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a safety-hook, the combination with a body having means at one endfor attachment to'a strap or like device and a tongue projecting beyondits other end, forming with said end a seat, of an outwardly-swingingretaining-hook pivoted upon the body and having an offset substantiallystraight bill that extends transversely of the body across the seat andat substantially right angl s to the longitudinal axis of the body, saidbill having its free end coacting with the tongue, and means carried bythe body for normally holding the hook with its bill across the seat,said means releasing the hook to permit the outward swinging movement ofthe bill out of line with the seat.

2. In a safety-hook, the combination with a body having means at one endfor attachment to a strap or like device, and a tongue projecting beyondits other end, forming with said end a seat, of an outwardly-swingingretaining-hook pivoted upon the body in rear of the tongue, said hookprojecting beyond the body in spaced relation to the tongue and havingan offset bill that extends across the seat and coacts with the free endof the tongue, and means movablymounted on the body and engaging thetongue to normally hold the bill across the seat.

3. In a safety-hook, the combination with a body having an eye at oneend and a tongue projecting longitudinally from one of the corners atthe opposite end, of an outwardlyswinging retaining-hook pivoted betweenits ends to the other corner at said end of the body and in rear of thefree end of the tongue, said hook having an offset bill that extendsacross the seat and coacts with the free end of the tongue, and meansmovably mounted on the body and engaging the rear end of the tongue inrear of its pivot to normally hold the bill across the seat.

4:. In a safety-hook, the combination with a body having means at oneend for the attachment of a strap or similar device and comprisingspaced members, said members having at the opposite end and at onecorner tongue-sections projecting longitudinally beyond the body, of anoutwardly-swinging retaining-hook pivoted to and between the members ofthe body at the other corner thereof in rear of the tongue-sections,said hook having a longitudinally-disposed portion provided with anoffset bill the free end of which fits between the tongue-sections, adog pivoted between its ends to and between the body members, one end ofsaid dog engaging the inner portion of the hook to prevent theoutward-swinging movement of the bill thereof,

the other end of said dog constituting an actuating device, and a springsecured to the body and located between the members thereof, said springengaging the dog to normally hold it in operative position with respectto the hook.

5. In a safety-hook, the combination with a body comprising spacedmembers having a tongue projecting longitudinally from one end of thesame, of a hook pivoted between its ends to and between the bodymembers, said hook projecting from the end of the body having the tongueand being provided with an offset bill that coacts with the tongue, anda locking-dog pivoted between its ends to and between the body members,one end of said dog being normally located in the path of FRANK SHERKEL,JR.

Witnesses:

ESSIE FILLIAN, JOHN W. DUNCAN.

